Pendergast: Spike TV Developing New Series with Walking Dead Producer

by Cindy McLennan, February 3, 2016

Spike is developing the Pendergast TV series drama, with Paramount Television and Universal Cable Productions. The Walking Dead‘s Gale Anne Hurd is executive producing, with Black Swan‘s John McLaughlin, who is also set as writer. Sharon Levy, Ted Gold, and Lauren Ruggiero will oversee the project for Spike.

Based on the novels Relic and Cabinet of Curiosities by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, Pendergast features Aloysius Pendergast, an eccentric FBI special agent. In the first season he will investigate a current crime that mirrors a century old mystery and is tied to his own family history.

Dramatic Series “Pendergast” Based on Best-Selling Novels By Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

New York, NY, February 1, 2016 – Spike has teamed up with Paramount Television and Universal Cable Productions to develop a scripted dramatic series, “Pendergast.” Award-winning and critically-acclaimed producer Gale Anne Hurd of Valhalla Entertainment (“The Walking Dead”) serves as Executive Producer, with John McLaughlin (“Black Swan”) set as the writer and Executive Producer.

Based on the bestselling novels “Relic” and “Cabinet of Curiosities” by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, the series centers around Aloysius Pendergast, an eccentric special agent with the FBI. Set in a contemporary version of gothic New York City, the first season finds Pendergast investigating a present day crime mimicking a century old mystery — which links to his own family’s dark past.

“Pendergast” represents the first collaboration between Spike and Paramount Television, both Viacom properties. It’s also the second co-production between Paramount Television and Universal Cable Productions with the first being the pilot “Shooter.”

Spike TV debuted its first scripted event series in eight years, “Tut,” last July to strong ratings and has recently ordered to series, “Red Mars” based on Kim Stanley Robinson’s award-winning “Mars Trilogy.”

About Spike TV:

Spike TV is available in 91.4 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks. A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike TV’s Internet address is www.spike.com.

About Paramount Television:

Paramount Television develops and finances a wide range of creative television programming across all media platforms. Paramount Television is part of Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment. PPC is a unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), a global content company with premier television, film and digital entertainment brands.

About Universal Cable Productions:

Universal Cable Productions (UCP) creates innovative and critically acclaimed original scripted and digital content across media platforms for domestic and international distribution. In the U.S., UCP’s programming can be seen across various networks including the Golden Globe award-winning drama “Mr. Robot,” “Colony,” “Playing House,” “Royal Pains” and “Suits” on USA Network; “The Magicians,” “12 Monkeys,” “Hunters” and “Killjoys” on Syfy; “Girlfriends’ Guide To Divorce” on Bravo; “The Royals,” on E!; “Difficult People,” on Hulu; and “Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome” on Machinima Prime/YouTube and Syfy. UCP’s content library includes critic and fan favorites such as the Emmy-award winning “Monk” as well as “Psych” and “Battlestar Galactica.” Universal Cable Productions is a part of NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment, a division of NBCUniversal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies. Follow us @UCPisTV.

Did you read the Relic and Cabinet of Curiosities novels? Do you like the sound of the Pendergast TV show? Do you plan to check it out, when it premieres on Spike? Tell us.

I have read all the Pendergast books and can’t wait to see the series. I hope the Pendergast character will be true to the books. It was a great disappointment that he was left out of Thr Relic. When is the series slated to begin?

I hope they take the time to find the RIGHT actor to play Pengergast. I think he should be an unknown actor like Daniel Radcliffe who was perfect to play Harry Potter. I don’t want to watch the actor playing Pendergast and also remember the actor from another performance. The actor needs to stand alone with the Pendergast persona. If you’ve read the novels ,you know what a unique person Pendergast is and I’d rather not watch someone “act” like him, he must “BE” him.CAN’T WAIT TO SEE THE SERIES!!!

Have to disagree strongly for DR, even tho he is a genius actor on stage and film! Big fan of Cumberbatch, however! I believe with makeup, of course, that Cillian would be engrossing. The one that is ALL wrong is Jeremy Piven as D’Agosta. We shall see…this will happen!! Hope they hurry! Oh PS. Hayward has jet black hair ugh…they have to get this correct!